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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. swing — to play on
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. swing — music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. capital — a city
  18. rush — hurry
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bear — the animal

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