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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ground — a position
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — the arms race
  9. club — a group
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — the tool
  14. club — for golf
  15. race — a contest
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. race — humankind
  20. club — for dancing
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — the season

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