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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: ground · pitch · spell · arm · bay · prune · cabinet · mate

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spell — letters
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — to breed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ground — the earth
  20. spell — magic
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — a position

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