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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. club — a group
  4. scale — in music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. band — a music group
  8. court — of a king
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — for golf
  18. cap — of ice
  19. band — a ring
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cap — a hat
  22. court — of law
  23. club — for dancing
  24. band — a rubber band

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