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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — a face
  3. ground — a position
  4. board — to get on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mug — a cup
  8. swing — music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. board — a committee
  15. ground — the earth
  16. shower — rain
  17. swing — in golf
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — to rob
  24. kid — child

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