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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. ground — crushed
  2. chip — for betting
  3. drill — a practice
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ground — a position
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. drill — the tool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — army training
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lean — thin
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stand — to bear
  23. plane — in geometry
  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