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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. swing — music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. swing — to play on
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ground — a position
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bowl — a dish

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