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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mug — a face
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. court — of a king
  6. pop — soda
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ground — the earth
  9. court — of law
  10. scale — in music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ground — a position
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to click
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cap — a lid
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pop — to visit
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. court — for sport
  22. pop — music
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ground — crushed

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