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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spell — letters
  5. mug — a face
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cue — for pool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cue — a signal
  13. track — a path
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. track — a song
  17. chest — of your body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spell — magic
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. patient — a sick person

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