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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mark — a grade
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — of water
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. current — electric
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — to pay attention

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