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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ball — a dance
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bat — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. arm — a part of something

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