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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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — in music
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitch — completely
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. key — the most important part
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. present — there
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. present — the time now
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pass — a permit
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — in sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pitch — a sports field

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