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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pop — soda
  9. swing — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pop — music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ground — a position
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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