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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. current — electric
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. degree — from a university
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. swing — to play on
  20. current — happening now
  21. rest — a break
  22. swing — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. degree — an amount

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