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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cap — a hat
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cap — a lid
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wound — an injury
  11. capital — a city
  12. ground — a position
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bound — certain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. capital — money
  24. squash — the sport

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