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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ground — a position
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. foot — a measure
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bowl — a football final

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