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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. drill — army training
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. present — a gift
  5. drill — a practice
  6. firm — a company
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lie — to recline
  9. firm — decided
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — there
  13. firm — steady
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — the time now
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — an illness
  24. arm — a part of something

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