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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — of water
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ground — a position
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stand — to bear
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. spring — the season
  19. ground — crushed
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fine — all right
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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