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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rash — a series
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. board — a committee
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. board — to get on
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. scale — size or range
  20. kick — in football
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — clever
  24. scale — for weighing

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