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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mug — a cup
  3. object — an aim
  4. mug — to rob
  5. scale — size or range
  6. field — a subject
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bat — the animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — for digging
  15. field — farmland
  16. pop — soda
  17. object — a thing
  18. mug — a face
  19. object — to protest
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pop — music
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pitcher — a jug

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