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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. march — music
  4. scale — in music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pit — in a race
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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