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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. present — there
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. spring — the season
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. land — a country
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitch — completely
  14. land — to come down
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. land — ground
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stand — to bear

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