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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. squash — the sport
  5. game — a match
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a document
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. file — a tool
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ground — a position
  20. pass — a permit
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. file — a line of people
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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