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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. foot — a measure
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. date — the fruit
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. game — a match
  12. spell — a short time
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ground — the earth
  15. spell — magic
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. spell — letters
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. leaves — lets stay

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