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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. last — to go on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. chair — a leader
  21. spring — of water
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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