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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — magic
  6. club — for golf
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ground — the earth
  16. spell — a short time
  17. scale — size or range
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — to crush
  20. spell — letters
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — a position
  24. squash — the sport

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