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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. object — a thing
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. file — a tool
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — in music
  14. squash — to crush
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. object — an aim
  21. ground — crushed
  22. squash — the sport
  23. scale — size or range
  24. object — to protest

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