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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. spell — letters
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. can — to be able to
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. spell — a short time
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitch — completely
  20. spell — magic
  21. ground — a position
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. shower — rain
  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