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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — to push
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — to recline
  7. track — a path
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. track — a song
  11. scale — size or range
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. craft — boats
  18. scale — in music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lie — an untruth

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