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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — in biology
  8. swing — to play on
  9. file — a document
  10. scale — in music
  11. spell — magic
  12. swing — music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. file — a tool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a line of people
  17. season — of the year
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cell — a phone
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. foot — a measure
  24. scale — for weighing

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