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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 116 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — in music

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