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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — a friend
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stock — shares
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stock — goods
  13. game — wild animals
  14. object — an aim
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. staff — employees
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. object — a thing
  23. staff — employees
  24. mate — a partner

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