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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spell — magic
  4. race — a contest
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. scale — in music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. race — humankind
  9. spell — a short time
  10. root — of a word
  11. race — the arms race
  12. root — the cause
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fine — all right
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. root — of a plant
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. spell — letters
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bass — low music

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