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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ground — crushed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. scale — in music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bound — certain
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stock — goods
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — a position
  19. stock — shares
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — an untruth

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