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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pop — soda
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rule — government
  15. saw — the tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. ground — a position
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pop — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rock — music

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