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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rash — a series
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rash — hasty
  9. band — a ring
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pit — a hole
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pit — in a race
  19. band — a music group
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wound — an injury
  24. racket — for tennis

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