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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. root — the cause
  4. kick — in football
  5. present — a gift
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fall — the season
  10. present — there
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cap — of ice
  14. present — the time now
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fall — to drop
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. scale — size or range
  23. root — of a word
  24. fall — to drop

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