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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — for money
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pitch — completely
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. object — to protest
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — a thing
  19. clip — to cut
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. object — an aim
  22. ground — crushed
  23. clip — a video
  24. bay — a horse colour

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