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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ground — a position
  5. mine — for digging
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of a king
  10. bank — for money
  11. court — of law
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. root — the cause
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bank — of a river
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. court — for sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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