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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. current — electric
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ground — a position
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — happy
  19. ground — the earth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. bass — low music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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