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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rule — a law
  3. tube — a container
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. staff — a stick
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wound — an injury
  9. track — to keep track
  10. spell — letters
  11. ground — a position
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rule — government
  18. staff — employees
  19. wound — an injury
  20. track — a path
  21. staff — employees
  22. track — a song
  23. spell — magic
  24. rule — to rule out

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