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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. bowl — a football final
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. cell — in biology
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cap — a lid
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. current — happening now
  23. fork — in a road
  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