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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bound — certain
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. swing — in golf
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. shower — rain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. scale — in music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. deal — to handle
  21. swing — to play on
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. swing — 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