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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. court — for sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ground — a position
  6. court — of a king
  7. prune — to trim
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. court — of law
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — a list
  21. ground — the earth
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. safe — out of danger

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