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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mark — a trace
  3. scale — in music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. scale — size or range
  8. season — in sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. season — of the year
  15. staff — employees
  16. dip — to sink
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. land — a country

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