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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ground — a position
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ground — the earth
  16. march — the month
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. march — music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. hide — to keep secret

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