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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pass — a permit
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bear — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. file — a document
  20. kick — in football
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kick — with a leg

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