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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ground — a position
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. field — for sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. toast — bread
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. field — a subject
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. field — farmland

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