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

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rule — government
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ground — a position
  16. cap — of ice
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — a law

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