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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cap — a lid
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ground — a position
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. scale — in music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. track — a song
  11. chest — a box
  12. spell — letters
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — a path
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. scale — for weighing

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