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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ground — a position
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. squash — to crush
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — a tin
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rest — a break
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. game — a match
  19. scale — in music
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cap — of ice
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cap — a hat

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