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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. roll — a list
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ground — crushed
  6. dip — to sink
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. club — for golf
  10. rule — government
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bore — to drill
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. roll — on a roll

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