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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. scale — in music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bear — the animal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rash — a series
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — soda
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pop — music

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