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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mug — a face
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stand — to bear
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. game — a match
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wind — to turn a key

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