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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — a position
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fine — all right
  8. net — for catching
  9. mate — a friend
  10. net — in sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. scale — size or range
  13. net — after costs
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ruler — for measuring

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