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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. shower — rain
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ground — crushed
  9. shower — to wash
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. perch — the fish
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. firm — decided
  17. ground — a position
  18. firm — steady
  19. game — a match
  20. land — to come down
  21. firm — a company
  22. land — ground
  23. pass — a permit
  24. game — wild animals

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