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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chip — for betting
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. lean — thin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ground — a position
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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