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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — a position
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — temperature
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chair — a leader
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bear — the animal

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