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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — size or range
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. roll — a cake
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. object — to protest
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. object — a thing
  10. pop — music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fine — high quality
  13. object — an aim
  14. fine — all right
  15. roll — a list
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — in music
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. nail — for a hammer

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