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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bass — the fish
  4. scale — size or range
  5. object — an aim
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. object — a thing
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bass — low music
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mate — a partner
  18. scale — in music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ground — a position
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rush — to hurry

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