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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ground — a position
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. snap — to click
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ground — the earth
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tube — a container
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — completely

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