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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. last — final
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. last — finally
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — a song
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. last — to go on
  13. pass — a permit
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — the animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. scale — in music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. track — a path
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. row — a line
  24. pop — music

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