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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — of a word
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pit — in a race
  12. roll — a list
  13. pit — a hole
  14. root — of a plant
  15. face — to confront
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. root — the cause
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kick — in football
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. club — for dancing

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