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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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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: sharp · pound · ground · press · pitch · safe · mouse · rule

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ground — crushed
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitch — completely
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ground — the earth
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — a position
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rule — a law
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rule — government
  24. sharp — clever

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