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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. staff — employees
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. staff — employees
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. capital — a city
  12. staff — a stick
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rush — hurry
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. capital — money
  21. snap — to click
  22. stock — shares
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stock — goods

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