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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. field — a subject
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. land — ground
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. land — a country
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. land — to come down
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mate — a partner
  18. field — for sport
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. field — farmland
  21. ground — a position
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — the animal

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