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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. scale — in music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rush — hurry
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. current — of water
  13. foot — a measure
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pass — a permit
  16. current — happening now
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. snap — to click
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. current — electric

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