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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. club — a group
  9. hand — help
  10. pitch — completely
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hand — in cards
  18. branch — of a bank

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