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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 124 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. season — of the year
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ground — a position
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cap — a hat
  11. season — in sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — electric
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. current — happening now
  20. squash — the sport
  21. current — of water
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cabinet — ministers

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