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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ground — a position
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. scale — in music
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — magic
  7. club — for golf
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spell — a short time
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. suit — in cards
  18. club — a group
  19. spell — letters
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ground — crushed
  22. suit — clothes
  23. can — to be able to
  24. scale — size or range

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