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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rock — a stone
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — size or range
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. field — farmland
  8. capital — a city
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — all right
  15. field — a subject
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. capital — money
  19. pop — music
  20. scale — in music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. field — for sport

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