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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — letters
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. spell — a short time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. last — to go on
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kid — child
  11. present — a gift
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. present — the time now
  14. kid — to tease
  15. last — finally
  16. present — there
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bore — to tire
  19. last — final
  20. spell — magic
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bore — to drill

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