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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. ground — a position
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fine — all right
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chair — a leader
  8. race — humankind
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. clip — to cut
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. ground — crushed
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. race — a contest
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bowl — a dish

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