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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ground — a position
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. spell — magic
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — letters
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ground — the earth
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. club — a group
  22. cap — of ice
  23. calf — a young animal
  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