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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. sharp — clever
  4. clip — a video
  5. ground — crushed
  6. scale — in music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. dip — to sink
  9. branch — a division
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — size or range
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ground — a position
  14. court — of law
  15. clip — to cut
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. clip — for paper
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. court — of a king
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. court — for sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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