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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ground — the earth
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. land — a country
  6. bass — the fish
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. drill — a practice
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. drill — army training
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — a position
  14. kid — to tease
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. land — to come down
  17. bass — low music
  18. land — ground
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kid — child
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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