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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rock — music
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stock — goods
  11. rule — a law
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stock — shares
  14. rock — a stone
  15. foot — a measure
  16. field — for sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. rule — government
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. field — a subject
  22. cap — a hat
  23. field — farmland
  24. foot — the bottom

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