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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pit — a hole
  6. scale — in music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hand — help
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. kick — in football

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