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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ground — crushed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. scale — in music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. drill — a practice
  7. track — a song
  8. present — a gift
  9. drill — army training
  10. roll — a cake
  11. track — a path
  12. degree — from a university
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — size or range
  16. degree — temperature
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. degree — an amount
  19. drill — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. roll — a list
  24. present — there

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