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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. scale — in music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — a trace
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. craft — a skill
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rule — a law
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. craft — boats
  16. wake — a trail
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rule — government
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — a grade
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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