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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. scale — in music
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ground — a position
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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