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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · ground · fine · dip · date · scale · spell · roll

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spell — magic
  3. scale — size or range
  4. spell — letters
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ground — a position
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. scale — in music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fine — high quality

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