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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. club — for golf
  7. band — a ring
  8. ground — the earth
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bass — the fish
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. club — a group
  16. band — a music group
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — low music
  20. club — for dancing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mark — a trace
  24. band — a rubber band

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