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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pound — a weight
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. court — of law
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — a position
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. toast — bread
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cell — in biology
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. charge — a price
  23. court — for sport
  24. pound — to hit hard

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