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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. court — of law
  7. pound — a weight
  8. court — for sport
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. court — of a king
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bore — to drill
  19. scale — in music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pitch — completely

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