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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 116 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. scale — size or range
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. court — of law
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. court — of a king
  20. lean — thin
  21. drill — army training
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — to bend

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