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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mug — a face
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mug — a cup
  10. drill — a practice
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — from crying
  16. drill — army training
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mug — to rob
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fork — in a road
  24. sharp — exactly

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