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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. deal — to handle
  3. roll — a cake
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bass — low music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — to confront
  11. mate — a partner
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mate — a friend
  19. roll — a list
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. season — of the year
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. season — in sport

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