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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bound — certain
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. track — a path
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spring — of water
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spring — the season
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. track — a song
  21. ball — a great time
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ground — a position

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