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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. last — to go on
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. staff — employees
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. last — finally
  16. staff — a stick
  17. scale — in music
  18. last — final
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. scale — size or range

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