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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. firm — a company
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — decided
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ground — a position
  14. rash — a series
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bat — the animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pit — in a race
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. firm — steady

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