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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. game — a match
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. hand — help
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mark — a grade
  12. object — to protest
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. object — a thing
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. deal — to handle
  21. object — an aim
  22. mark — a trace
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ground — a position

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