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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a hole
  6. hand — in cards
  7. file — a document
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — in a race
  11. file — a line of people
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. object — a thing
  16. hand — help
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. file — a tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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