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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — a cup
  3. board — to get on
  4. ground — the earth
  5. firm — decided
  6. file — a document
  7. kid — to tease
  8. game — wild animals
  9. kid — child
  10. file — a tool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. firm — steady
  13. board — a committee
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mug — a face
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ground — a position
  19. game — a match
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. firm — a company
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. board — a flat piece

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