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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. scale — size or range
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bound — certain
  9. bass — low music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bass — the fish
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. date — the fruit
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cap — a lid
  24. scale — in music

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