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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. current — of water
  8. ground — a position
  9. land — a country
  10. scale — size or range
  11. current — electric
  12. land — to come down
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — all right
  15. scale — in music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rest — a break
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fine — high quality
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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