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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. court — of law
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. race — a contest
  8. rash — hasty
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — size or range
  12. drill — army training
  13. pop — soda
  14. court — for sport
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pop — music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — a series
  20. court — of a king
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. race — humankind
  24. drill — a practice

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