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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. row — a line
  3. mug — a cup
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mug — a face
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. drill — a practice
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cap — a lid
  17. scale — size or range
  18. drill — army training
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cap — of ice

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