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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. club — for golf
  6. present — there
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. race — the arms race
  9. present — a gift
  10. perch — the fish
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — humankind
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lie — to recline
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. club — a group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. club — for dancing
  24. present — the time now

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