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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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — a gift
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — the earth
  10. roll — a list
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. present — the time now
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wax — to grow
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — there
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ground — a position

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