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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. degree — from a university
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fine — all right
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. court — of law
  12. scale — size or range
  13. court — of a king
  14. degree — temperature
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — high quality
  20. degree — an amount
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. court — for sport
  23. ground — a position
  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