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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. present — there
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — a gift
  20. ground — a position
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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