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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. foot — a measure
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ground — a position
  10. face — part of the head
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bore — to drill
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ball — a great time
  19. face — to confront
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pass — a permit
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. dip — a sauce

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