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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. rash — a series
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. scale — in music
  8. club — for dancing
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. club — a group
  11. ground — the earth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mug — a face
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — for golf
  23. mug — to rob
  24. scale — size or range

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