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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — a face
  3. ground — a position
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. lean — thin
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bulb — for light
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mug — to rob
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. court — of a king
  24. ground — the earth

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