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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. scale — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. firm — decided
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fine — high quality
  11. firm — steady
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. firm — a company
  17. fine — all right
  18. kid — child
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — to tease

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