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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. track — a song
  3. current — electric
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chest — a box
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kid — child
  9. mark — a grade
  10. track — a path
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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