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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. swing — in golf
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rock — a stone
  8. swing — music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. swing — to play on
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. drill — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. drill — army training
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rock — music
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ground — crushed
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. drill — a practice

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