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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rule — a law
  9. swing — music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. hand — help
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chip — for betting
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rule — government
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pop — soda
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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