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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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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: ground · track · hide · spell · fork · pitch · arm · rush

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. track — a song
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spell — a short time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. spell — magic
  15. ground — crushed
  16. track — a path
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — hurry
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. spell — letters
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — in a road
  24. ground — a position

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