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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fall — the season
  6. cell — a phone
  7. club — for dancing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. cell — in biology
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com