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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. capital — a city
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fall — the season
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. capital — money
  12. pop — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — to handle

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