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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. scale — in music
  7. row — a line
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. tube — a container
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ball — a great time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tube — the underground
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. deal — to handle
  22. scale — size or range
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. scale — for weighing

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