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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: bulb · pitch · ground · hide · rule · track · fine · snap

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. track — a song
  3. ground — crushed
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. track — a path
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rule — government
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ground — a position
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rule — a law
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitch — completely
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fine — all right

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