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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — of water
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — a position
  12. can — to be able to
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — high quality
  16. can — a tin
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. deal — to handle
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. current — electric
  23. stand — for spectators
  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