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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rush — hurry
  6. court — for sport
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. roll — a list
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. court — of law
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. game — wild animals
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — to come from
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. game — a match
  21. ground — crushed
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ground — a position
  24. can — a tin

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