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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. race — a contest
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. track — to keep track
  7. race — the arms race
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. foot — a measure
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. scale — in music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. scale — size or range
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. track — a path
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. track — a song
  22. race — humankind
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. dip — to sink

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