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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bound — certain
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. face — to point toward
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bound — obliged
  9. object — an aim
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. object — a thing
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. face — to confront
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  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