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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bass — low music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. scale — in music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — the fish
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. firm — a company
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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