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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. present — the time now
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — army training
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ground — a position
  10. pass — a permit
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ground — crushed
  17. season — of the year
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. present — a gift
  20. rest — what's left
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rest — a break
  24. present — there

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