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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. suit — clothes
  10. current — happening now
  11. scale — size or range
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ground — a position
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cell — a phone
  23. suit — to fit
  24. scale — in music

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