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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. tube — a container
  10. season — in sport
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. face — part of the head
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bass — the fish
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fine — high quality
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. fine — all right
  21. bass — low music
  22. rock — music
  23. season — of the year
  24. bass — the instrument

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