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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ground — crushed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. staff — employees
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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