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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. hand — help
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. face — to point toward
  8. roll — a list
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ground — the earth
  11. swing — in golf
  12. face — to confront
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. face — part of the head
  15. roll — a cake
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hand — in cards
  20. swing — music
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. swing — to play on

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