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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kid — to tease
  3. ground — a position
  4. track — a song
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. track — to keep track
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitch — completely
  18. kid — child
  19. track — a path
  20. mug — a face
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wake — a trail

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