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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. game — a match
  3. rest — what's left
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ground — a position
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rock — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rest — a break
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ruler — a monarch

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