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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. kid — child
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. court — for sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — of the year
  18. court — of law
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. court — of a king
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. calf — of the leg

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