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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. pop — to visit
  5. scale — in music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. craft — boats
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. present — the time now
  10. march — the month
  11. pop — soda
  12. bass — the fish
  13. craft — a skill
  14. march — music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. present — a gift
  21. pop — music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. scale — size or range
  24. march — the month

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