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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bark — to shout
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a dance
  6. roll — a cake
  7. ground — a position
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a great time
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pop — to visit
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. roll — a list

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