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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. spell — magic
  14. pitch — completely
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fall — the season
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mug — a face
  22. spell — letters
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fall — to drop

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