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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — a contest
  4. fine — all right
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. race — the arms race
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ground — a position
  15. bass — the fish
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ground — the earth
  18. shower — rain
  19. kid — child
  20. bass — low music
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. suit — to fit
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. race — humankind

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