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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. race — humankind
  5. net — for catching
  6. bound — tied together
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — in sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. race — a contest
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. ground — crushed
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. race — the arms race
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mug — to rob

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