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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. row — to paddle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. capital — a city
  5. present — there
  6. current — happening now
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. capital — money
  17. pitch — completely
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ground — a position
  20. current — electric
  21. deal — to handle
  22. current — of water
  23. ground — crushed
  24. row — a line

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