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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. band — a ring
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. band — a music group
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stock — shares
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lie — to recline
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. ground — crushed

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