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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ground — a position
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. file — a tool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ground — crushed
  15. file — a document
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pass — a permit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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