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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rock — a stone
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rock — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. spell — letters
  14. snap — to click
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spell — magic
  19. scale — in music
  20. club — for golf
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spell — a short time
  24. prune — to trim

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