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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lean — thin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. lean — to bend
  5. land — a country
  6. chip — for betting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — to be able to
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — to eat
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. scale — size or range
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bass — low music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bass — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. land — to come down
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ground — a position
  24. bass — the instrument

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