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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.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. chest — a box
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spell — magic
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ground — a position
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — crushed

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