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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. branch — a division
  5. ground — crushed
  6. season — of the year
  7. rock — music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — to be able to
  11. object — to protest
  12. spell — magic
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. season — in sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. object — a thing
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spell — letters
  21. object — an aim
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. spell — a short time

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