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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. club — for golf
  4. staff — a stick
  5. scale — in music
  6. club — a group
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mark — a trace
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. scale — size or range
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. race — humankind
  15. foot — a measure
  16. race — a contest
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. club — for dancing
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — to handle

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