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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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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pop — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pop — to visit
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — completely
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rush — hurry
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitch — a sports field

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