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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cap — a hat
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. last — final
  8. hand — in cards
  9. last — finally
  10. hand — help
  11. last — to go on
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cap — of ice
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — in music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pit — a hole

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