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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rash — hasty
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pit — a hole
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lean — to bend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — a match
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hand — help
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hand — part of the body

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