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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. court — of law
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. suit — clothes
  16. court — of a king
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. court — for sport
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ground — a position
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rest — a break
  24. fork — to eat with

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