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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. toast — bread
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mate — a friend
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rest — what's left

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