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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. scale — in music
  3. suit — in cards
  4. roll — a cake
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mate — a partner
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fine — all right
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bass — low music
  18. roll — a list
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bass — the fish
  21. suit — clothes
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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