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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. degree — temperature
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. capital — money
  9. tear — to rip
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. tear — from crying
  12. field — for sport
  13. ground — a position
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — a permit
  18. field — a subject
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — a city
  23. field — farmland
  24. degree — from a university

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