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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. club — for dancing
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fine — all right
  12. capital — a city
  13. roll — a list
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. swing — in golf
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. capital — money
  23. roll — a cake
  24. scale — size or range

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