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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ground — a position
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ground — crushed
  8. clip — to cut
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. suit — to fit
  11. clip — for paper
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ball — a dance
  15. suit — in cards
  16. clip — a video
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fine — high quality
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — all right
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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