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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. file — a line of people
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. season — in sport
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — size or range
  12. file — a tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. file — a document
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. mouse — the animal

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