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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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. bulb — of a plant
  4. object — to protest
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ground — crushed
  7. field — for sport
  8. lie — to recline
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. object — a thing
  16. field — farmland
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. object — an aim
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. field — a subject
  23. ground — a position
  24. dip — to dunk

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