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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rush — hurry
  4. sharp — clever
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. land — to come down
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. land — ground
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — a position
  14. scale — in music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. land — a country
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rock — music
  20. ground — the earth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. squash — to crush
  24. nail — for a hammer

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