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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — for pool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spring — the season
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ground — a position
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. deal — to handle
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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