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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. scale — in music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. content — the amount
  9. ground — a position
  10. pop — music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. file — a line of people
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pop — soda
  19. file — a tool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. content — happy
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pop — to visit
  24. scale — size or range

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