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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. staff — employees
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. race — the arms race
  7. swing — music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. capital — money
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. ball — a dance
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. swing — to play on
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. race — humankind
  20. capital — a city
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. race — a contest
  24. pop — soda

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