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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kid — child
  3. scale — size or range
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. key — in music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. scale — in music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kid — to tease
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. key — for a lock
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pit — in a race

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