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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. face — to confront
  5. hand — help
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — certain
  8. scale — size or range
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bound — obliged
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. squash — the sport
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hand — in cards
  19. deal — to handle
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. deal — an agreement

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