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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. date — the fruit
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. chest — of your body
  9. kick — in football
  10. ground — a position
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chest — a box
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — low music

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