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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. band — a ring
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mug — to rob
  9. band — a music group
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — the underground
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mug — a face
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tube — a container
  17. cap — of ice
  18. can — a tin
  19. mug — a cup
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. face — part of the head
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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