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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mark — a trace
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. craft — boats
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. present — a gift
  12. land — a country
  13. band — a music group
  14. present — there
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. craft — a skill
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. band — a ring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — the time now
  24. band — a rubber band

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