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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. shower — to wash
  4. scale — in music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. shower — rain
  7. band — a ring
  8. kick — in football
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. roll — a list
  13. band — a music group
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. capital — a city
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mug — to rob
  18. capital — money
  19. mug — a face
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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