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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ground — crushed
  3. current — electric
  4. ground — the earth
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. current — of water
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lean — thin
  14. swing — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. swing — to play on
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lean — to bend
  19. current — happening now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — a position
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. tube — a container

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