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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. club — for dancing
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — in control
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. club — for golf
  11. bat — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — size or range
  17. charge — electricity
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wave — of the sea

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