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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. present — the time now
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. board — a committee
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. board — to get on
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — in music
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fall — the season

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