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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fall — the season
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. sharp — clever
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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