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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stock — goods
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lie — to recline
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stock — shares
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. key — the most important part
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitch — completely
  24. chair — a leader

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