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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pop — music
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. track — a path
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ground — a position
  13. can — a tin
  14. ball — a great time
  15. track — a song
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ball — a dance
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pop — soda

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