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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ground — a position
  4. bass — the fish
  5. scale — in music
  6. ground — the earth
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mate — to breed
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a great time
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mark — a grade
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bass — low music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ball — a dance

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