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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · pitcher · sharp · race · scale · toast · can · bay

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. scale — in music
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. race — the arms race
  10. scale — size or range
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — bread
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. snap — to click
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. can — to be able to
  24. race — humankind

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