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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. spell — letters
  3. present — a gift
  4. charge — a price
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. present — there
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spell — magic
  10. present — the time now
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. firm — a company
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spell — a short time
  17. firm — decided
  18. charge — in control
  19. ground — a position
  20. firm — steady
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — electricity

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