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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bank — for money
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bank — for money
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cabinet — ministers

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