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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ground — a position
  6. rock — music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. current — electric
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ground — crushed
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. current — happening now
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. current — of water

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