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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pop — music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. mug — a face
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pop — soda
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rest — a break
  19. drill — army training
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mug — a cup

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