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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. scale — in music
  3. ground — the earth
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — a stick
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — the season
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. band — a music group
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fall — to drop
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pound — a weight
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — a position
  20. scale — size or range
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. band — a ring
  24. fall — to drop

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