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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rock — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. craft — boats
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mug — a face
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mug — a cup
  18. band — a ring
  19. ground — the earth
  20. craft — a skill
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rock — a stone
  24. band — a music group

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