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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. band — a ring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — the earth
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ground — a position
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitch — completely

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