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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rock — music
  4. toast — bread
  5. pop — music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pop — soda
  12. suit — clothes
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — an illness
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. date — the fruit
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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