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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rush — hurry
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pop — music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. last — to go on
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pop — soda
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. last — final
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. last — finally
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pitch — completely

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