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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. game — a match
  3. ground — a position
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ground — crushed
  11. key — for a lock
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a song
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. track — to keep track
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. track — a path
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — the earth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. key — in music
  24. nail — on a finger

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