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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — the fish
  3. firm — steady
  4. season — in sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. present — a gift
  7. field — for sport
  8. firm — decided
  9. season — of the year
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. firm — a company
  12. present — the time now
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. field — a subject
  21. present — there
  22. bass — low music
  23. field — farmland
  24. tube — a container

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