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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mine — for digging
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. club — for golf
  11. ground — a position
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. club — a group
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. club — for dancing
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. present — a gift
  24. foot — a measure

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