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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitch — completely
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. present — there
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. spell — magic
  12. scale — in music
  13. foot — a measure
  14. present — the time now
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spell — letters
  20. mate — a friend
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. present — a gift
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mug — a face

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