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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. scale — size or range
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ground — the earth
  21. foot — a measure
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. squash — the sport

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