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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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mate — a friend
  4. staff — employees
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — all right
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ground — crushed
  13. scale — size or range
  14. staff — a stick
  15. scale — in music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spring — the season
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ground — a position
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. scale — for weighing

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