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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rest — a break
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pitch — completely
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ground — the earth
  24. calf — a young animal

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