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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.

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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ball — a dance
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — a price
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. charge — in control
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spring — the season
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. charge — electricity
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ground — the earth
  24. spring — of water

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