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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitch — completely
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ball — a dance
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. tear — to rip
  20. ball — a great time
  21. date — the fruit
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. file — a tool

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