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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ground — crushed
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ground — a position
  6. march — the month
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. capital — a city
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. foot — a measure
  17. deal — to handle
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. capital — money
  23. march — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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