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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 120 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 no middle ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ground — the earth
  18. snap — to click
  19. drill — army training
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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