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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. game — wild animals
  8. toast — bread
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a match
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. scale — size or range
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pound — a weight
  24. game — a kind of play

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