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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: foot · bowl · date · mug · saw · ground · pass · chip

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ground — crushed
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mug — a face
  24. date — on the calendar

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