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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. current — happening now
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ground — a position
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ground — crushed

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