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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ground — crushed
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pop — soda
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. branch — a division
  19. hand — in cards
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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