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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bass — low music
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. scale — in music
  8. file — a tool
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. file — a document
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. file — a line of people

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