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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pop — soda
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. kid — child
  6. cue — a signal
  7. branch — a division
  8. hand — help
  9. cue — for pool
  10. last — finally
  11. pop — music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. hand — in cards
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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