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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. current — happening now
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. land — to come down
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — a country
  10. capital — a city
  11. current — electric
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fall — the season
  14. current — of water
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ground — a position
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ground — crushed
  22. land — ground
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. capital — money

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