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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ground — the earth
  3. drill — a practice
  4. field — for sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ground — a position
  11. plane — a tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. cue — a hint
  14. season — of the year
  15. field — a subject
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cue — for pool
  20. drill — the tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. field — farmland

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