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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. ground — a position
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — a company
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rash — a series
  12. firm — steady
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — the earth
  15. firm — decided
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cell — in biology
  19. capital — a city
  20. craft — boats
  21. cell — a phone
  22. capital — money
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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