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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. track — a song
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pitch — completely
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — in music
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. track — a path
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — size or range
  22. shower — rain
  23. fall — the season
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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