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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mug — a face
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chair — a leader
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ground — a position
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. face — to confront
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ball — a great time
  18. face — to point toward
  19. can — a tin
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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