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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. track — to keep track
  10. board — a committee
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — a path
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. track — a song
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pitch — completely
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. dip — to sink
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. safe — out of danger

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