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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. march — the month
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ground — a position
  5. march — music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fall — the season
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fall — to drop
  22. march — the month
  23. chair — a leader
  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