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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 124 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. firm — decided
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ground — crushed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. firm — a company
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pitch — completely
  23. firm — steady
  24. mine — belonging to me

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