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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mark — a trace
  3. scale — in music
  4. mug — a face
  5. last — finally
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. scale — size or range
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. pitch — a sports field

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