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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. key — in music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. file — a document
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. key — for a lock
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bass — the fish
  14. date — the fruit
  15. scale — in music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. file — a tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. scale — size or range
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rock — music
  23. land — to come down
  24. branch — a division

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