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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — from a university
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — to trim
  20. toast — bread
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. scale — in music

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