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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ground — crushed
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pop — music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pop — soda
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ground — a position
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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