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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. staff — a stick
  3. file — a tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ground — a position
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fall — to drop
  14. staff — employees
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. file — a document
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fall — the season
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stand — to bear
  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