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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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. scale — in music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pop — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — of law
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fine — all right
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. court — of a king
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — to come from
  21. scale — size or range
  22. foot — a measure
  23. court — for sport
  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