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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — in a race
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — in music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bound — certain
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. game — a match
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rest — a break
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — clever

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