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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · cap · nail · foot · ground · date · cabinet · straw

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cap — a hat
  4. date — the fruit
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cap — a lid
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ground — a position
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ground — crushed

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