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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. object — a thing
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. charge — in control
  11. scale — in music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. object — an aim
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hand — help
  17. object — to protest
  18. ground — a position
  19. cap — a hat
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cap — a lid
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — a price
  24. scale — for weighing

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