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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. row — to paddle
  11. kid — child
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bass — low music
  18. row — a line
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rush — hurry
  24. dip — to sink

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