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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. march — the month
  6. last — final
  7. ground — crushed
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cell — in biology
  10. board — to get on
  11. march — the month
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a dance
  15. last — to go on
  16. march — music
  17. ball — a great time
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. board — a committee
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ground — a position

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