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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cue — a hint
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bass — low music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. march — the month
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. scale — in music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cue — a signal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. march — the month
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cue — for pool
  24. arm — part of the body

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