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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. race — humankind
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. perch — the fish
  8. squash — the sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. bear — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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