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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · bowl · ball · chest · chip · ground · mine · season

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. season — in sport
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ground — crushed
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ground — the earth

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