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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. sharp — clever
  4. content — happy
  5. staff — employees
  6. ground — the earth
  7. board — a committee
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. staff — a stick
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. content — the amount
  17. board — to get on
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. land — a country
  24. pitch — a sports field

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