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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — rain
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. court — of law
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. scale — in music
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. court — for sport

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