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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. scale — in music
  3. fall — the season
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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