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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. firm — a company
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mark — a trace
  8. deal — to handle
  9. firm — decided
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — clever
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. firm — steady

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