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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. game — a match
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. scale — in music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — size or range
  12. game — wild animals
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ball — a great time
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ground — a position
  18. spell — magic
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — clever

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