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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. can — a tin
  3. club — a group
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. file — a line of people
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — to drill
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. shower — rain
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. file — a document
  18. bore — to tire
  19. file — a tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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