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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ground — a position
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — the underground
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — a container
  16. bulb — for light
  17. capital — money
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. capital — a city

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