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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. deal — to handle
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bass — low music
  12. ground — a position
  13. spell — letters
  14. ground — the earth
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spell — magic
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bass — the fish

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