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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. scale — in music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. band — a music group
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. band — a ring
  9. fine — all right
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bark — to shout
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rush — hurry

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