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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bound — certain
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cap — a lid
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ground — a position
  8. cap — a hat
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chest — a box
  11. club — for dancing
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. club — a group
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chest — of your body
  17. craft — boats
  18. bound — tied together
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bound — obliged
  23. club — for golf
  24. chest — of your body

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