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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mate — a friend
  8. prune — to trim
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mate — to breed
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. row — a line
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — in music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mate — a partner
  24. racket — for tennis

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