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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rush — hurry
  5. club — for golf
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — music
  10. club — a group
  11. band — a ring
  12. club — for dancing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. scale — in music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — a weight

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