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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — size or range
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. drill — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. toast — bread
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pop — to visit
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — to keep track
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bark — to shout
  21. date — the fruit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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