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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. staff — a stick
  6. court — of law
  7. spell — letters
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bulb — for light
  10. staff — employees
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ground — a position
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. court — of a king
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. spell — magic
  24. court — for sport

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