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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mate — to breed
  3. scale — in music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ground — a position
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ground — the earth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. roll — a list

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