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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mate — to breed
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. mate — a friend
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ground — a position
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ball — a dance
  11. object — an aim
  12. tear — from crying
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. tear — from crying
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mate — a partner
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tear — to rip

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