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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. present — there
  3. rest — a break
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. present — the time now
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rest — what's left
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ground — crushed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ground — a position
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pitch — completely
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. sharp — with an edge

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