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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. race — a contest
  6. staff — employees
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. capital — a city
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mate — to breed
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bowl — to roll

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