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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. scale — in music
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ground — a position
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ground — crushed

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