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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. firm — steady
  6. scale — in music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. capital — money
  15. bark — to shout
  16. capital — a city
  17. club — for dancing
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. club — for golf
  24. scale — size or range

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