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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. scale — in music
  3. ground — a position
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mate — a friend
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. craft — boats
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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