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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mug — a face
  4. date — the fruit
  5. scale — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for golf
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitch — completely
  10. club — for dancing
  11. spell — magic
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mug — a cup
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — letters
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mug — to rob
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — size or range
  24. club — a group

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