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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — a country
  4. bulb — for light
  5. season — in sport
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. season — of the year
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — to come down
  17. object — an aim
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ground — the earth
  21. land — ground
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a grade

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