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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. scale — in music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. swing — music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. face — to confront
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — a match
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — part of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. swing — in golf
  24. face — to point toward

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