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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rash — hasty
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rash — a series
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. ground — crushed
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. ground — a position
  21. face — to confront
  22. game — wild animals
  23. face — to point toward
  24. game — a match

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