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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kick — in football
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — a position
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. snap — to click
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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