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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — happening now
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ground — a position
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. board — to get on
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. board — a committee
  16. current — of water
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. current — electric
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rash — a series
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ground — the earth

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