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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. firm — decided
  3. track — a song
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rest — a break
  7. sharp — clever
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — child
  12. track — to keep track
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. firm — a company
  15. scale — size or range
  16. kid — to tease
  17. firm — steady
  18. scale — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a path
  24. leaves — of a tree

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