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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fine — all right
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. object — a thing
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. object — an aim
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. object — to protest
  12. ground — a position
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — the earth
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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