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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — a hat
  3. scale — in music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. last — final
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kid — child
  13. last — to go on
  14. cap — a lid
  15. last — finally
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cap — of ice
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pass — to succeed

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