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

Word bank: bore · stand · rest · ground · scale · net · sharp · deal

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bore — to tire
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. net — in sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. net — after costs
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. net — for catching
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ground — a position

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