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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spring — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ground — a position
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ground — the earth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. ground — crushed
  23. spring — the season
  24. rule — to rule out

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