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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. vault — a safe
  5. scale — size or range
  6. prune — to trim
  7. scale — in music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. sharp — clever
  11. drill — army training
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. present — there
  18. prune — to trim
  19. drill — a practice
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. present — a gift
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — the time now

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