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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — size or range
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rush — hurry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — in music
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. drill — army training
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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