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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. net — in sport
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ground — crushed
  6. track — to keep track
  7. net — for catching
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ground — the earth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. track — a song
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. net — after costs
  20. ground — a position
  21. track — a path
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tear — from crying

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