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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. club — a group
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. club — for golf
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ground — the earth
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kid — to tease
  13. ground — a position
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kid — child
  17. fall — the season
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. press — to push
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. club — for dancing
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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