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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kid — child
  3. firm — steady
  4. sharp — clever
  5. firm — a company
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lean — thin
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cap — a hat
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. kid — to tease

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