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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 veil over the lips.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. toast — bread
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — a position
  6. land — ground
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ground — crushed
  9. land — to come down
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — music
  12. mate — a friend
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. court — of law
  15. pop — soda
  16. mate — to breed
  17. court — of a king
  18. race — humankind
  19. land — a country
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. race — the arms race
  22. court — for sport
  23. pop — to visit
  24. race — a contest

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