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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. ground — a position
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ground — the earth
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitch — completely
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hide — animal skin

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