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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rock — music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. club — a group
  6. object — a thing
  7. cap — a hat
  8. object — an aim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. scale — in music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. scale — size or range
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. object — to protest

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