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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. present — the time now
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. drill — a practice
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mate — a partner
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. ground — a position
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — there
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. present — a gift
  22. mate — to breed
  23. race — humankind
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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