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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. club — for golf
  3. bat — the animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stock — goods
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. club — a group
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. drill — army training
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stock — shares
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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