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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. roll — a cake
  3. ball — a dance
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ground — crushed
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. clip — a video
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. object — to protest
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. ball — a great time
  13. squash — to crush
  14. clip — for paper
  15. object — a thing
  16. roll — a list
  17. object — an aim
  18. ground — the earth
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. clip — to cut
  24. safe — a strongbox

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