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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bass — low music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kid — child
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bass — the fish
  15. scale — size or range
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. scale — in music
  21. toast — bread
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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