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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ground — crushed
  7. scale — in music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cap — a lid
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. land — to come down
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. land — ground
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. land — a country
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — a leader
  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