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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mug — a face
  6. staff — employees
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — a measure
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — size or range
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. row — a line
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. staff — a stick
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. scale — in 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