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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. scale — size or range
  2. club — for dancing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. land — ground
  7. can — a tin
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. club — for golf
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. land — a country
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. scale — in music
  14. land — to come down
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. club — a group
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  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