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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. row — a line
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mine — for digging
  10. row — to paddle
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. scale — size or range
  14. saw — the tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rush — hurry
  23. staff — a stick
  24. coach — a trainer

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