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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: cap · fine · foot · bat · face · spell · ball · ground

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spell — letters
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ground — the earth
  12. spell — magic
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fine — all right
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bat — the animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ball — a great time
  24. foot — a measure

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