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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rash — a series
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. rash — hasty
  8. band — a music group
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ground — a position
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lean — thin
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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