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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pass — a permit
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ground — a position
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spring — the season
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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