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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — soda
  3. mark — a grade
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mark — a trace
  6. scale — size or range
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pop — to visit
  9. scale — in music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pop — music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stand — to bear
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — a measure

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