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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — completely
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. toast — bread
  7. scale — in music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — in sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rock — music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. season — of the year

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