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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spell — a short time
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ground — crushed
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spell — letters
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. charge — a price
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ground — the earth
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ground — a position
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. charge — in control
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spell — magic

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