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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. court — for sport
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitch — completely
  11. land — ground
  12. court — of law
  13. mate — a partner
  14. court — of a king
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ground — a position
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spell — letters
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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