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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: sharp · root · club · mouse · stick · scale · ground · land

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — ground
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. scale — in music
  7. club — a group
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — to come down
  12. ground — the earth
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — clever
  18. club — for golf
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. scale — size or range
  21. root — the cause
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. land — a country
  24. root — of a word

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