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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. scale — in music
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. press — to push
  10. track — a path
  11. capital — a city
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. foot — a measure
  14. press — a publisher
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. track — a song
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. scale — for weighing

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