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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. kid — child
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — the season
  9. band — a music group
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. band — a ring
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fall — to drop

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