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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. scale — in music
  3. staff — employees
  4. ground — the earth
  5. suit — in cards
  6. scale — size or range
  7. net — after costs
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — employees
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pop — music
  15. ground — a position
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. staff — a stick
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — soda

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