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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mate — a friend
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mate — to breed
  8. clip — a video
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. board — a committee
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fine — all right
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rash — a series
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. board — to get on
  24. foot — a measure

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