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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mark — a trace
  8. clip — for paper
  9. root — of a word
  10. mark — a grade
  11. foot — a measure
  12. drill — the tool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. dip — to sink
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. root — the cause
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — of a plant
  22. drill — a practice
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. drill — army training

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