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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. band — a ring
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pop — soda
  6. mug — to rob
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — a match
  11. land — a country
  12. ground — a position
  13. game — wild animals
  14. land — ground
  15. band — a music group
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. land — to come down
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pop — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mug — a cup
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mug — a face

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