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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. land — ground
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ground — the earth
  11. shower — rain
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ball — a great time
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ground — a position
  16. pitch — completely
  17. land — to come down
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. land — a country
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fine — high quality

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