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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.

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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rule — a law
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fine — all right
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ground — the earth
  10. band — a music group
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. band — a ring
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — government
  18. fine — high quality

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