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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ground — a position
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. content — the amount
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wake — a trail
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chip — to eat
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — a permit
  23. content — happy
  24. foot — the bottom

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