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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chip — for betting
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. capital — money
  8. land — to come down
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. land — a country
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. land — ground
  16. capital — a city
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pitch — completely
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — to eat
  22. staff — employees
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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