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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. snap — to click
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. track — a path
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mate — to breed
  10. track — a song
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ground — the earth
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mate — a partner
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pitch — completely
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ground — a position

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