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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — in music
  5. tear — to rip
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. tear — from crying
  9. last — finally
  10. ground — a position
  11. lean — thin
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lean — to bend
  14. last — to go on
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — a signal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cue — for pool
  24. last — final

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