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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mug — a face
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pitch — completely
  9. game — a match
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bound — tied together
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bound — certain
  21. ground — a position
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bound — obliged

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