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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · bowl · ground · nail · season · wave · deal · dip

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mark — a trace
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. dip — to sink
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. season — of the year
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. season — in sport
  24. mark — to pay attention

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