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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mine — for digging
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — shares
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mouse — the animal

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