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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ground — the earth
  3. season — in sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. season — of the year
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. current — of water
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ground — crushed
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. branch — a division
  20. drill — army training
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. season — to add flavour

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