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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — of a river
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — there
  11. kid — child
  12. present — the time now
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. present — a gift
  17. mark — a trace
  18. march — music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — to cool the air

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