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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hand — in cards
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. craft — boats
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chip — to eat
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. season — of the year
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. chip — for betting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hand — help
  24. season — in sport

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