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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fall — the season
  3. ground — a position
  4. present — a gift
  5. ground — crushed
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. file — a tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — completely
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. object — a thing
  16. sharp — clever
  17. present — there
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. object — an aim
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fall — to drop
  23. file — a document
  24. present — the time now

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