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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — crushed
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. band — a ring
  9. ground — a position
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a music group
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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