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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. present — there
  3. wound — an injury
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. root — of a plant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — to visit
  12. suit — to fit
  13. present — the time now
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. root — the cause
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. root — of a word
  23. suit — clothes
  24. present — a gift

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