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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 116 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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pop — to visit
  7. court — for sport
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ground — a position
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. court — of a king
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — of law
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mark — a trace
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — a break
  24. pop — soda

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