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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rash — a series
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ground — a position
  9. mark — a trace
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — a grade
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. capital — a city
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. capital — money
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — hasty

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