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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. court — of law
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — a skill
  13. court — for sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ground — crushed
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. court — of a king
  23. craft — boats
  24. pitcher — a jug

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