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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. last — to go on
  3. scale — in music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rash — a series
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pop — music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rush — hurry
  10. board — to get on
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. last — finally
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — a committee
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rest — a break
  19. pop — soda
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rest — what's left
  22. scale — size or range
  23. last — final
  24. patient — a sick person

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