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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. roll — a list
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. date — the fruit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lean — thin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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