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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitch — completely
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cap — a lid
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ground — a position
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ground — the earth
  24. racket — a loud noise

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