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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: fine · snap · ground · scale · deal · march · game · bass

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ground — a position
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — low music
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ground — the earth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bass — the fish
  15. game — wild animals
  16. scale — in music
  17. march — music
  18. snap — to click
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. march — the month
  24. game — a match

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