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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. cell — a phone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. firm — a company
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cell — in biology
  13. capital — money
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. capital — a city
  16. scale — in music
  17. firm — decided
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. firm — steady
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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