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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. scale — in music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — humankind
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. race — a contest
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pop — soda
  16. bear — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fine — high quality
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pop — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fine — all right

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