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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. game — a match
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bear — the animal

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