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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. ground — the earth
  9. deal — to handle
  10. clip — a video
  11. pass — a permit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. last — final
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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