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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. capital — money
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cell — in biology
  8. capital — a city
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mine — for digging
  12. present — a gift
  13. cell — a phone
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — a position

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