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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cap — a lid
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. roll — a cake
  11. last — finally
  12. swing — music
  13. roll — a list
  14. snap — to click
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. last — final
  20. chip — for betting
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cap — of ice
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ground — a position

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