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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. net — after costs
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. net — for catching
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — the earth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rule — a law
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. craft — boats
  24. net — in sport

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