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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. scale — in music
  4. season — of the year
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lean — to bend
  10. season — in sport
  11. court — for sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. court — of law
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. court — of a king
  21. deal — to handle
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. club — for dancing

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