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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. last — final
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. object — to protest
  8. last — finally
  9. sharp — clever
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lean — to bend
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. last — to go on
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. board — to get on
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. board — a committee
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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