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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. object — to protest
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. shower — rain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. object — an aim
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pop — music
  16. object — a thing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pop — soda
  20. ground — a position
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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