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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. band — a music group
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cap — of ice
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. band — a ring
  12. ground — a position
  13. capital — a city
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cap — a lid
  18. capital — money
  19. scale — in music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. toast — bread
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — a hat

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