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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ground — a position
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. object — to protest
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. object — an aim
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. object — a thing
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. field — farmland
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. field — a subject
  22. foot — a measure
  23. field — for sport
  24. pass — a permit

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