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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. club — a group
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. club — for golf

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