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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: pitch · ground · pop · mug · race · object · deal · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. race — a contest
  4. object — to protest
  5. pop — soda
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mark — a grade
  9. race — the arms race
  10. object — a thing
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ground — a position
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mug — a face
  15. pop — music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pop — to visit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. race — humankind
  20. object — an aim
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitch — a sports field

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