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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pop — soda
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pop — to visit
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cold — an illness
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. scale — in music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pop — music
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cold — not warm

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