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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. craft — a skill
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — letters
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ground — a position
  19. spell — a short time
  20. craft — boats
  21. ball — a dance
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ground — the earth
  24. spell — magic

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