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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. present — a gift
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — clever
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lean — to bend
  8. scale — in music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — to get on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. present — the time now
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. board — a committee
  17. lean — thin
  18. present — there
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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