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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hand — help
  13. wake — a trail
  14. season — of the year
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. season — in sport
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ground — a position
  24. prune — to trim

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