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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ball — a great time
  10. season — in sport
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spring — the season
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. season — of the year
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ground — a position
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cue — a hint
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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