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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rule — a law
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitch — completely
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rule — government
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. scale — in music
  24. jam — a tight spot

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