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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. pop — music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pop — to visit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chip — for betting
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pop — soda
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. chip — to eat

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