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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — to come down
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ground — a position
  8. current — of water
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — completely
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — the earth
  16. current — happening now
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. current — electric
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — music
  24. land — a country

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