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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 116 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spring — the season
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bass — low music
  8. spring — of water
  9. capital — money
  10. scale — size or range
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. capital — a city
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. spring — a coil
  20. scale — in music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ground — crushed
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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