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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pop — to visit
  3. scale — in music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. scale — size or range
  8. kid — child
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bass — low music
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wave — of the sea

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