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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · scale · lie · tube · deal · bowl · jam · spell

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. tube — the underground
  5. scale — in music
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. tube — a container
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lie — to recline
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spell — magic
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spell — letters
  24. scale — size or range

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