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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. present — there
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pop — music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. field — a subject
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ground — crushed
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. roll — a list
  17. present — a gift
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ground — a position
  20. pass — a permit
  21. field — farmland
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. roll — a cake

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