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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fall — the season
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ground — a position
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — of the year
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. net — in sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. calf — a young animal

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