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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ground — a position
  8. fine — all right
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fine — a penalty

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