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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. roll — a list
  4. fine — high quality
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hand — in cards
  8. roll — a cake
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ground — the earth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fine — all right
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. court — for sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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