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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. file — a document
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. court — of law
  6. file — a tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ground — the earth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bass — low music
  14. court — for sport
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — of a king
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pound — a weight
  24. scale — in music

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