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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mug — a face
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fine — all right
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet

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