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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitch — completely
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. roll — a list
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. roll — a cake
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — a friend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. deal — to handle
  24. roll — on a roll

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