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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. toast — bread
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. shower — rain
  8. snap — to click
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ground — a position
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chip — for betting
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. shower — to wash
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chip — to eat

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