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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. capital — a city
  6. charge — a price
  7. ground — crushed
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rash — a series
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. charge — electricity
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cold — an illness
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ground — a position
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. charge — in control
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — the Cold War

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