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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. scale — in music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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