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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — a position
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fine — all right
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ground — crushed
  9. race — humankind
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. track — a path
  12. race — a contest
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. race — the arms race
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. charge — in control
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pass — a permit
  23. charge — electricity
  24. track — a song

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