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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.

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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. branch — a division
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. spring — the season
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — the earth
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. toast — bread
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ground — a position
  21. spring — of water
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. snap — to click

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