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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. can — to be able to
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. object — an aim
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spring — the season
  20. present — the time now
  21. can — a tin
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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