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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. race — humankind
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fine — high quality
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. charge — in control
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — a position
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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