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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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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: rush · wind · sharp · pop · bank · pitch · rule · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rule — government
  4. pop — music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rule — a law
  8. bank — for money
  9. pop — to visit
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pop — soda
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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