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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — a thing
  5. lean — thin
  6. drill — a practice
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to click
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. scale — size or range
  13. drill — army training
  14. saw — the tool
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. object — to protest
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. dip — to sink
  24. object — an aim

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