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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. scale — size or range
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — to get on
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. board — a committee
  14. track — a song
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pop — music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. snap — to click
  19. track — a path
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. track — to keep track
  24. present — a gift

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