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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. net — after costs
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. net — for catching
  5. last — to go on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. last — final
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pitch — completely
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. net — in sport
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. last — finally
  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