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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — in music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — to bear
  8. craft — boats
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rest — a break
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. shower — rain
  20. rash — a series
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mouse — for a computer

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