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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. season — of the year
  5. pop — music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. season — in sport
  8. ground — a position
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cue — for pool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pop — to visit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pop — soda
  24. bay — a horse colour

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