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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — ground
  4. rock — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. scale — size or range
  7. land — a country
  8. swing — in golf
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. hide — animal skin

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