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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. scale — in music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — in control
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. charge — a price
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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