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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — to handle
  4. season — of the year
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. season — in sport
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ground — crushed
  16. swing — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. swing — to play on
  21. ground — a position
  22. court — of a king
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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