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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. net — for catching
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ball — a great time
  7. dip — to sink
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. net — after costs
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ball — a dance
  13. net — in sport
  14. game — a match
  15. ground — a position
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. game — a kind of play

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