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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. ground — a position
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — in music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kick — in football
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wound — an injury

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