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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ground — the earth
  7. present — the time now
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ground — crushed
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chip — for betting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cap — a hat
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. ground — a position
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chip — to eat

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