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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ground — the earth
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bat — the animal
  16. snap — to click
  17. ground — a position
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. arm — part of the body

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