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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ground — a position
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rest — a break
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. present — a gift
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. present — there
  24. bowl — a football final

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