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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. land — ground
  3. ground — a position
  4. firm — steady
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. land — to come down
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. firm — a company
  10. land — a country
  11. firm — decided
  12. ground — crushed
  13. clip — to cut
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bore — to tire
  20. scale — size or range
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. clip — a video
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ground — the earth

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