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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cap — a hat
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ball — a great time
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — gave birth

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