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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. face — to confront
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ground — a position
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. face — part of the head
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. pitch — completely
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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