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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. game — a match
  3. squash — the sport
  4. field — for sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. key — in music
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lie — to recline
  10. field — a subject
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ground — the earth
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cue — for pool
  19. key — for a lock
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — farmland
  23. ground — crushed
  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