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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — a grade
  8. season — in sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ground — a position
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mark — a trace
  14. season — of the year
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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