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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. branch — a division
  3. ground — crushed
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mug — to rob
  6. object — an aim
  7. game — a match
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. object — to protest
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — government
  14. object — a thing
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rule — a law
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mug — a face
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ground — the earth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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