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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. band — a music group
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ground — a position
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. spell — magic
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pound — a weight
  15. spell — letters
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. band — a ring
  24. ground — crushed

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