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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. band — a music group
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. last — to go on
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spring — of water
  21. last — finally
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. band — a ring
  24. bay — a horse colour

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