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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ground — a position
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. race — humankind
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. swing — in golf
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. race — a contest
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. scale — in music
  21. race — the arms race
  22. saw — the tool
  23. swing — music
  24. suit — clothes

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