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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — a path
  7. cue — a signal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. track — a song
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pit — in a race
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cue — a hint
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. file — a document
  18. pit — a hole
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. track — to keep track

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