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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 · pound · pitch · craft · hide · drill · ground · saw

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mine — for digging
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a skill
  14. drill — army training
  15. ground — a position
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. drill — a practice
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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