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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pop — soda
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ground — the earth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pop — music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stand — to bear

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