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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. present — a gift
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. row — a line
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — for a lock
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. staff — employees
  11. pop — soda
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ball — a dance
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. staff — employees
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. row — to paddle
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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