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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ground — a position
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ground — the earth
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. scale — in music
  14. foot — a measure
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ground — crushed
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mug — a cup

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