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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · bear · pitch · mouse · ruler · kick

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kick — in football
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch

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