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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. scale — in music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. scale — size or range
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. deal — to handle
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mark — a trace

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