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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pop — soda
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fork — in a road
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fall — to drop
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. club — for golf
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. scale — in music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. club — a group
  24. fall — to drop

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