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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. track — a path
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. track — to keep track
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. scale — in music
  11. cap — a lid
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a song
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cap — a hat
  16. scale — size or range
  17. dip — to sink
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. club — for golf
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. coach — a trainer

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