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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. net — after costs
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pitch — completely
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. net — for catching
  10. land — a country
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. land — to come down
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. land — ground
  19. object — an aim
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. 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