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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. scale — in music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mate — to breed
  7. scale — size or range
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pit — a hole
  24. object — an aim

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