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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
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: ground · scale · pitcher · race · mug · wave · bay · roll

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mug — a cup
  3. roll — a cake
  4. scale — in music
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mug — to rob
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mug — a face
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ground — the earth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. roll — a list
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. race — a contest
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wave — with your hand

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