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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. capital — a city
  9. mug — a cup
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. ground — a position
  13. snap — to click
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mug — a face
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. capital — money
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mug — to rob

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