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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 124 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — a face
  3. shower — rain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — a committee
  10. shower — to wash
  11. kick — in football
  12. board — to get on
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mug — a cup
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ground — a position
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fine — all right

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