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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ground — crushed
  5. march — music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ground — the earth
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. shower — to wash
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. march — the month
  15. shower — rain
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ground — a position
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fan — a supporter

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