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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 must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — in control
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. file — a line of people
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a tool
  9. court — of a king
  10. file — a document
  11. court — of law
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — a position
  14. court — for sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a match

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