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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mark — a trace
  3. court — for sport
  4. last — finally
  5. toast — bread
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. court — of law
  9. ground — a position
  10. court — of a king
  11. staff — employees
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. staff — employees
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ground — crushed
  21. drill — a practice
  22. last — to go on
  23. scale — in music
  24. last — final

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