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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. suit — to fit
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spring — the season
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bound — obliged
  18. sharp — clever
  19. squash — to crush
  20. spring — of water
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. squash — the sport

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