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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. present — the time now
  13. pop — soda
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — to point toward
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — to confront
  21. perch — the fish
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. ground — a position

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