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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. object — to protest
  3. ground — crushed
  4. season — of the year
  5. object — an aim
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — a thing
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pop — music
  18. swing — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pop — soda
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cue — a signal
  24. swing — in golf

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