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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — a friend
  9. court — of a king
  10. pass — a permit
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — to sink
  15. court — of law
  16. ground — a position
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — a break
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mate — a partner
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bear — 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