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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — a trace
  6. band — a ring
  7. drill — army training
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. band — a music group
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. object — a thing
  17. drill — the tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. object — an aim
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. trunk — of a tree

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