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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. club — a group
  4. scale — in music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. present — a gift
  11. club — for golf
  12. chest — of your body
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. present — the time now
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. present — there
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chest — of your body
  20. file — a tool
  21. club — for dancing
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. chest — a box

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