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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — in music
  4. hand — help
  5. fine — all right
  6. ball — a dance
  7. degree — from a university
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. object — an aim
  11. pop — music
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pop — soda
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pop — to visit
  18. object — a thing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. object — to protest
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fine — high quality
  24. degree — temperature

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