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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. foot — a measure
  3. clip — for paper
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — size or range
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mate — a friend
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. scale — in music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mark — a grade

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