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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mug — a cup
  5. suit — clothes
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mug — a face
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. capital — money
  10. file — a tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. dip — to sink
  14. capital — a city
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. file — a document
  22. court — of law
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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