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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: object · cap · ground · cabinet · rest · scale · sharp · mouse

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ground — the earth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ground — crushed
  7. object — to protest
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. object — a thing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cap — of ice
  12. scale — in music
  13. ground — a position
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rest — what's left
  16. object — an aim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — a break
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. scale — for weighing

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