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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. spring — of water
  3. spell — a short time
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. land — to come down
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mug — a face
  8. spell — magic
  9. land — ground
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bass — the fish
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ground — crushed
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bass — low music
  20. spring — the season
  21. land — a country
  22. spell — letters
  23. mug — to rob
  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