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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pitch — completely
  5. vault — a safe
  6. game — wild animals
  7. face — to point toward
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. deal — to handle
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. game — a match
  18. dip — to sink

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