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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — for sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lean — thin
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lean — to bend
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. court — of law
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. court — of a king
  24. fork — to eat with

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