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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fine — all right
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mug — to rob
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fine — a penalty

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