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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. track — to keep track
  4. clip — to cut
  5. band — a ring
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. rush — hurry
  11. club — for dancing
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. deal — to handle
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. band — a music group
  19. club — for golf
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. scale — in music
  24. club — a group

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