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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ground — a position
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. deal — to handle
  24. nail — on a finger

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