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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. object — a thing
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. content — the amount
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. object — to protest
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. content — happy
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bass — low music
  18. charge — in control
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. object — an aim
  24. bass — the fish

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