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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 124 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. scale — in music
  5. mug — a face
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rash — a series
  13. mug — to rob
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. scale — size or range

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