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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mug — a cup
  5. file — a tool
  6. ground — a position
  7. current — happening now
  8. ground — the earth
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — rain
  13. current — electric
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mug — a face
  17. file — a document
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. current — of water
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. shower — to wash

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