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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. rule — to rule out
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. date — the fruit
  5. last — finally
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. last — final
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mug — to rob
  11. last — to go on
  12. scale — in music
  13. mug — a face
  14. ground — a position
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rule — government
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rule — a law
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ground — the earth
  21. scale — size or range
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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