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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. land — to come down
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ground — a position
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fine — all right
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. land — a country
  17. scale — in music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bank — for money
  23. fine — high quality
  24. land — ground

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