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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — a position
  9. swing — music
  10. board — to get on
  11. season — in sport
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. prune — to trim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. season — of the year
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. prune — to trim
  21. board — a committee
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cell — in a prison

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