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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ground — a position
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mate — a friend
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pop — soda
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pop — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. ball — a great time
  18. season — of the year
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ground — the earth

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