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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. land — ground
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. land — a country
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ground — crushed
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. land — to come down
  21. field — a subject
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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