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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. drill — a practice
  7. craft — boats
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. deal — to handle
  12. drill — the tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. scale — in music
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. drill — army training
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitch — completely
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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