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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rash — hasty
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. object — an aim
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — a series
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — a position
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pitch — completely
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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