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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. scale — in music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cell — in biology
  5. ball — a dance
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ball — a great time
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. row — to paddle
  11. press — newspapers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. suit — to fit
  15. press — to push
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cell — a phone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. suit — clothes
  23. row — a line
  24. press — a publisher

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