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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 120 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. staff — employees
  4. swing — in golf
  5. scale — size or range
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ground — a position
  8. track — a song
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. track — a path
  11. fine — all right
  12. staff — a stick
  13. swing — to play on
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ground — crushed
  18. staff — employees
  19. swing — music
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. scale — in music
  23. branch — a division
  24. bowl — to roll

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