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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 no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — a match
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pass — a permit
  8. degree — temperature
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. degree — from a university
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. can — a tin
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. can — to be able to
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wave — with your hand

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