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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pop — to visit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. net — after costs
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. net — for catching
  14. scale — size or range
  15. branch — a division
  16. net — in sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pop — soda
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mug — a face
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mug — a cup

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