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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. snap — to click
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. suit — clothes
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lie — to recline
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — completely
  13. suit — in cards
  14. ground — the earth
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. prune — to trim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. sharp — exactly

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