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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ground — a position
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. ground — the earth
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fall — to drop
  12. shower — to wash
  13. scale — in music
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — the season
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. scale — size or range
  18. staff — employees
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — rain
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fall — to drop
  24. safe — out of danger

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