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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — a cup
  11. deal — to handle
  12. roll — a list
  13. object — an aim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. degree — temperature
  16. object — to protest
  17. degree — an amount
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pitch — completely
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lean — thin
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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