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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rash — a series
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ground — a position
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ground — the earth
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — child
  22. wake — a trail
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rash — hasty

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