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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 124 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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 — size or range
  2. object — a thing
  3. scale — in music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. season — in sport
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. object — to protest
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. root — of a plant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — of the year
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. root — of a word
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. root — the cause
  21. snap — to click
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. date — the fruit
  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