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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wake — a trail
  4. scale — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. scale — size or range
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spell — letters
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pit — a hole
  24. snap — to click

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