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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. object — a thing
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. scale — in music
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. ground — a position
  10. scale — size or range
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — the fish
  13. key — for a lock
  14. object — an aim
  15. ground — the earth
  16. key — in music
  17. rule — government
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. key — the most important part
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rule — a law
  23. row — a line
  24. rule — to rule out

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