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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ground — crushed
  3. object — to protest
  4. game — a match
  5. object — a thing
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rash — a series
  13. deal — to handle
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ground — a position
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. object — an aim

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