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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. band — a music group
  4. sharp — clever
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. spring — the season
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a ring
  12. spring — a coil
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cap — a lid
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rock — music
  21. scale — in music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spring — of water

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