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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mate — to breed
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. land — to come down
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pop — music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wound — an injury
  17. land — a country
  18. mate — a partner
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — ground

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