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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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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stand — to bear
  16. toast — bread
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to succeed

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