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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. date — the fruit
  6. ground — crushed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — electric
  9. pop — to visit
  10. drill — army training
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. drill — a practice
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ground — a position
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. drill — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ground — the earth
  21. current — happening now
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pop — music
  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