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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — to point toward
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. race — a contest
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. race — the arms race
  14. face — part of the head
  15. race — humankind
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road

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