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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. ground — a position

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