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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pop — music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pop — soda
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bass — low music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bass — the instrument

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