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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — a break
  10. fine — all right
  11. can — to be able to
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — a tin
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. can — a tin
  24. fine — a penalty

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