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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.

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: ground · pitcher · plane · present · cold · net · bowl · mouse

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ground — the earth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. net — in sport
  15. ground — crushed
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. net — for catching
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. present — a gift
  24. mouse — the animal

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