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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ground — a position
  4. object — a thing
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. lie — to recline
  9. band — a ring
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. band — a music group
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. press — to push
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. plane — a tool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ground — the earth

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