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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. sharp — clever
  3. net — for catching
  4. ground — a position
  5. saw — the tool
  6. current — of water
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ground — the earth
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. current — happening now
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bound — tied together
  16. current — electric
  17. bound — certain
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cap — a lid
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — of ice
  23. net — in sport
  24. bound — obliged

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