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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. roll — a cake
  3. fall — the season
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. ground — crushed
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. season — in sport
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ground — a position
  16. roll — a list
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chair — a leader
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. season — of the year

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