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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. scale — in music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. root — the cause
  5. last — to go on
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a word
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. last — finally
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. root — of a plant
  22. last — final
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chest — of your body

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