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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. march — the month
  5. rock — a stone
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bore — to tire
  8. scale — in music
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. net — in sport
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rock — music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. net — for catching
  17. club — a group
  18. net — after costs
  19. club — for golf
  20. march — music
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. scale — size or range
  24. jam — a tight spot

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