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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ground — a position
  5. root — the cause
  6. pit — in a race
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. board — a committee
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ground — the earth
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. root — of a word

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