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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. dip — to sink
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cap — of ice
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. shower — rain
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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