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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ground — the earth
  3. race — a contest
  4. ground — crushed
  5. staff — a stick
  6. race — humankind
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. track — a path
  16. toast — bread
  17. ground — a position
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. suit — to fit
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pitch — completely
  23. suit — clothes
  24. staff — employees

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