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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. net — after costs
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. present — there
  9. ground — crushed
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. track — a path
  17. kick — in football
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. present — a gift
  23. track — a song
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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