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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — army training
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chip — for betting
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — to eat
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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