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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ground — crushed
  4. race — humankind
  5. capital — money
  6. game — wild animals
  7. season — in sport
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bat — the animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. mark — a trace
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — the arms race
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. race — a contest
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. game — a match
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. capital — a city
  22. ground — a position
  23. bat — for baseball
  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