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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mug — a face
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bass — low music
  12. capital — a city
  13. mug — a cup
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. row — to paddle
  19. capital — money
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — in a race

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