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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pop — music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pop — soda
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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