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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. board — to get on
  3. rash — a series
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. saw — the tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. rash — hasty
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. snap — to click
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. capital — a city
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ground — crushed
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ground — the earth
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — in a road
  20. capital — money
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. can — to be able to
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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