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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — for sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — of law
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. swing — music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. court — of a king
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ground — the earth
  22. swing — to play on
  23. season — of the year
  24. pass — a permit

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