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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. roll — a list
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. shower — rain
  8. bass — low music
  9. craft — boats
  10. rash — hasty
  11. scale — size or range
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. track — a path
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. track — a song
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. craft — a skill
  19. roll — a cake
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — a series

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