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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. game — wild animals
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hand — help

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