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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bear — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hand — in cards
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chest — of your body
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rule — government
  12. bear — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. hand — help
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chest — a box
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rule — a law
  20. chest — of your body
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. rule — to rule out

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