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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. track — a song
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — a path
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ground — a position

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