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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pitch — completely
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ground — a position
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. track — to keep track
  9. net — for catching
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bass — low music
  13. track — a path
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — a song
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bass — the fish

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