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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. land — ground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. field — farmland
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — to come down
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — size or range
  14. field — for sport
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. field — a subject
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. land — a country
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. toast — bread
  23. bear — the animal
  24. toast — the most admired

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