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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pop — to visit
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fall — the season
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pop — music
  10. craft — boats
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — army training
  23. pitch — completely
  24. drill — the tool

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