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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. squash — to crush
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. squash — the sport
  8. game — a match
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. game — wild animals
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. suit — clothes
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wake — a trail
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ground — crushed
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ground — a position

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