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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ground — crushed
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. pop — to visit
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pop — soda
  13. rule — government
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — music
  17. fine — all right
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rule — a law
  23. capital — money
  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