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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. club — for golf
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. land — a country
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. land — ground
  8. scale — in music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ground — the earth
  12. firm — decided
  13. club — for dancing
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ground — a position
  16. firm — steady
  17. land — to come down
  18. firm — a company
  19. club — a group
  20. cell — a phone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ground — crushed
  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