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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mark — a grade
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. capital — money
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — magic
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mark — a trace
  18. spell — letters
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. degree — from a university
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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