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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ground — a position
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ground — the earth
  9. land — ground
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mug — to rob
  13. suit — to fit
  14. swing — music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mug — a face
  24. swing — in golf

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