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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. scale — in music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wind — moving air
  16. row — a line
  17. rock — music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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