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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — a hole
  5. net — after costs
  6. ground — the earth
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wax — to grow
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ball — a dance
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. net — for catching
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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