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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. present — there
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. key — in music
  9. scale — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — a gift
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. key — the most important part
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — for a lock

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