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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pit — a hole
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — in music
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. game — a match
  11. row — to paddle
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. row — a line
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pit — in a race
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a kind of play

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