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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lie — to recline
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pop — soda
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. object — an aim
  9. ground — the earth
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. object — a thing
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. object — to protest
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pop — music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ground — a position

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