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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 124 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. field — a subject
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mate — to breed
  12. field — farmland
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. drill — army training
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — a position
  20. drill — the tool
  21. field — for sport
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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