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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ground — a position
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rule — government
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rule — a law
  24. ground — crushed

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