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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chair — a leader
  3. key — in music
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. toast — bread
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pop — music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pop — to visit
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rush — hurry
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pop — soda
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. date — the fruit
  24. staff — employees

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