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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ground — a position
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ground — crushed
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ground — the earth
  12. press — to push
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rest — a break
  15. capital — money
  16. bat — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rest — what's left
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. capital — a city
  23. plane — a tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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