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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — army training
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chest — a box
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chest — of your body
  22. scale — in music
  23. rock — music
  24. bulb — for light

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