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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pitch — completely
  3. track — a song
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mark — a grade
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bank — for money
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spring — the season
  20. track — a path
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ground — a position
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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