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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. content — happy
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ground — a position
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. content — the amount
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ground — crushed

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