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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. land — to come down
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — ground
  8. pop — music
  9. land — a country
  10. mug — a cup
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rock — a stone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mug — a face
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pop — to visit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — in music
  22. rock — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. ground — the earth

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