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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. land — a country
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — a group
  16. pound — a weight
  17. land — ground
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. coach — a trainer

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