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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. toast — bread
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bore — to drill
  8. foot — a measure
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — a weight
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ground — a position
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bore — to tire
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pound — for dogs

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