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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. root — of a word
  4. fine — all right
  5. rock — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. scale — in music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. root — the cause
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. plane — a tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rock — a stone
  24. root — of a plant

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