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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ground — a position
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. field — farmland
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. spring — a coil
  11. field — a subject
  12. spring — the season
  13. season — in sport
  14. suit — to fit
  15. ground — the earth
  16. board — to get on
  17. ground — crushed
  18. spring — of water
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. season — of the year
  24. suit — in cards

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