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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ground — a position
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitch — completely
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. track — a song
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rash — a series
  14. ground — crushed
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. track — a path
  20. scale — in music
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ground — the earth

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