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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ground — the earth
  7. craft — boats
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ball — a great time
  13. shower — rain
  14. face — to confront
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ground — a position
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. face — part of the head

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