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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. scale — in music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. scale — size or range
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chest — of your body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a line
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. season — of the year
  24. chest — a box

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