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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. season — in sport
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ground — crushed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. current — electric
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. court — of a king
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ground — a position
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. court — of law
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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