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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fine — high quality
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — final
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. root — the cause
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. degree — temperature
  13. snap — to click
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rock — a stone
  16. degree — an amount
  17. root — of a word
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rock — music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fine — all right
  23. last — to go on
  24. fine — a penalty

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