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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. deal — to handle
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — all right
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. scale — in music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chest — a box
  23. scale — size or range
  24. racket — a loud noise

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