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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. charge — a price
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — a position
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. club — a group
  11. can — a tin
  12. rash — a series
  13. game — a match
  14. vault — a safe
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. club — for golf
  18. game — wild animals
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rash — hasty
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ground — the earth
  24. racket — for tennis

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