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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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Word bank
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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — size or range
  3. can — to be able to
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. can — a tin
  8. field — farmland
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. scale — in music
  14. field — a subject
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. saw — the tool

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