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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. game — a match
  3. ground — a position
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lie — to recline
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. charge — electricity
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. game — wild animals
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — thin
  22. ground — the earth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — to bend

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