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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cap — a hat
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. drill — a practice
  7. club — a group
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. scale — in music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wake — a trail
  13. scale — size or range
  14. drill — army training
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ground — crushed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. club — for golf
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ground — a position
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. racket — for tennis

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