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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fall — the season
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mark — a trace
  6. race — humankind
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ground — a position
  11. roll — a list
  12. scale — in music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — high quality
  15. race — a contest
  16. scale — size or range
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fall — to drop
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fine — all right

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