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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. key — the most important part
  6. land — to come down
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mug — to rob
  11. scale — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mug — a face
  19. tube — a container
  20. season — in sport
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. key — in music
  24. bay — a horse colour

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