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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. scale — in music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. scale — size or range
  5. club — for golf
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cue — a signal
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cue — a hint
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — a division
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. club — a group
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bulb — for light

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