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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — for digging
  6. clip — a video
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. present — a gift
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. present — the time now
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. scale — size or range
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. clip — for paper
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. clip — to cut
  24. present — there

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