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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mark — a trace
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. scale — in music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. clip — a video
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. key — the most important part
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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