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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. net — for catching
  4. dip — to sink
  5. race — a contest
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. row — to paddle
  8. race — the arms race
  9. net — after costs
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. tear — to rip
  12. deal — to handle
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. tear — from crying
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tear — from crying
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. race — humankind
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. net — in sport

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