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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. ground — a position
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. board — a committee
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ground — crushed
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mug — a face
  12. ground — the earth
  13. board — to get on
  14. drill — army training
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. capital — a city
  18. mug — a cup
  19. capital — money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. field — for sport

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