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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. date — the fruit
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pop — to visit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pop — music

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