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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. firm — a company
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — the earth
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ground — crushed
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. sharp — clever
  21. field — a subject
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ground — a position

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