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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 116 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 · rash · face · pitcher · key · rest · pit · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ground — a position
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a great time
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. face — to confront
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ground — the earth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ball — a dance
  20. key — in music
  21. pit — in a race
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rest — a break
  24. pit — a hole

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