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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. band — a ring
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. scale — in music
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. band — a music group
  11. cue — for pool
  12. toast — bread
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. shower — rain
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. shower — to wash

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