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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. scale — in music
  3. spring — of water
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — clothes
  6. file — a tool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pop — soda
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kid — child
  13. suit — in cards
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spring — a coil
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. file — a document
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pop — music
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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