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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · ruler · ground · pop · roll · club · pitch · hide

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. club — a group
  3. ground — crushed
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — a position
  9. club — for golf
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. club — for dancing
  12. roll — a list
  13. pop — to visit
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. hide — to keep secret

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