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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ground — a position
  3. fine — all right
  4. scale — in music
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rash — hasty
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. object — a thing
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. arm — part of the body

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