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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wind — moving air
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. court — of law
  11. ground — a position
  12. roll — a cake
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — in music
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. court — for sport
  21. roll — a list
  22. court — of a king
  23. rock — music
  24. jam — a tight spot

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