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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — army training
  5. fine — high quality
  6. drill — a practice
  7. dip — to sink
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pop — soda
  11. row — to paddle
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fine — all right
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. drill — the tool
  16. row — a line
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — to visit
  21. scale — in music
  22. pop — music
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. arm — part of the body

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