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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. scale — in music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a great time
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chest — a box
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cap — a lid
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ball — a dance
  18. face — to confront
  19. chest — of your body
  20. scale — size or range
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  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