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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. club — a group
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. scale — in music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. toast — bread
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. squash — to crush
  17. club — for dancing
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — the sport
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. hand — help
  23. club — for golf
  24. toast — the most admired

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