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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. charge — a price
  11. hand — help
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a dance
  15. charge — electricity
  16. spell — magic
  17. charge — in control
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mouse — the 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