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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. scale — in music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rock — music
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. land — ground
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mark — a trace
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. land — to come down
  18. spell — magic
  19. mark — a grade
  20. land — a country
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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