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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. land — ground
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. land — a country
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. content — the amount
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. last — final
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. content — happy
  23. kick — in football
  24. stand — to bear

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