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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. track — a path
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — to point toward
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pitch — completely
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. face — to confront
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ground — a position
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. capital — money
  21. ground — crushed
  22. capital — a city
  23. track — a song
  24. pass — to spend time

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