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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — magic
  3. rush — hurry
  4. scale — in music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fine — all right
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. deal — an agreement

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