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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. firm — steady
  3. rest — what's left
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cap — of ice
  8. scale — in music
  9. board — a committee
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. scale — size or range
  14. board — to get on
  15. cap — a hat
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rest — a break
  18. cap — a lid
  19. track — a path
  20. firm — decided
  21. cold — not warm
  22. firm — a company
  23. track — a song
  24. scale — for weighing

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