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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ground — crushed
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stand — to bear
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. race — humankind
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. race — a contest
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. race — the arms race
  24. stand — for spectators

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