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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ground — a position
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bound — certain
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hand — help
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mark — a grade
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mate — a friend

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