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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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468
Word bank
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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. club — a group
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. degree — from a university
  6. club — for golf
  7. spell — magic
  8. land — to come down
  9. club — for dancing
  10. drill — army training
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. kick — in football
  15. scale — size or range
  16. drill — the tool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spell — letters
  19. land — a country
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. spell — a short time
  22. toast — bread
  23. land — ground
  24. kick — with a leg

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