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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. scale — size or range
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. calf — of the leg

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