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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. charge — electricity
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ground — crushed
  23. scale — in music
  24. track — to keep track

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