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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a music group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a great time
  9. staff — a stick
  10. band — a ring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — to bear
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. ball — a dance
  24. dip — to dunk

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