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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. last — final
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. last — finally
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. face — to point toward
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — to go on
  24. staff — employees

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